An evil father seen here kissing his seven-year-old daughter on a photograph he posted with a message saying “I love you so much my beautiful girl” faces life in jail after he allegedly slit her throat.
The brutal murder took place in the Pendik district of Turkey’s largest city Istanbul, on the Asian side of the city, after the man had collected the girl, Defne Ozturk, from her grandmother, on Sunday, 12th December 2021.
The dad, who has been named as Habip Ozturk, had returned to Istanbul from working abroad.
Habip went to see his wife, named as Havva Ozturk, at her mother’s house one month before the event, supposedly in a bid to reconcile.
But they quarrelled and he allegedly beat her before attempting to murder her mother.
The dad, who worked as a women’s hairdresser with a significant social media presence and over 200,000 followers, was then ordered to stay away from his family with a restraining order after his wife filed for divorce.
About a month later, on the day of the alleged murder, the dad called his wife saying that he wanted to take their daughter out to spend some time with her.
The mother and grandmother reportedly accepted, as he had stated that he wanted to give a letter to his mother-in-law. He picked the girl up from her grandmother’s house, but did not deliver any letter.
Four hours before the murder, the dad posted two photographs showing him and his daughter, and in one of the photos, he can even be seen kissing her on the cheek.
Habip took the girl to his sister’s house. Shortly before allegedly murdering his daughter, he asked her: “Do you love me?”
He was reportedly unhappy at his daughter’s reply, as her mother and grandmother had allegedly been turning the girl against him, he later claimed in court.
He then allegedly took the girl to his own house and placed her on a bed along with the words “I always loved you” on a paper towel next to her.
Ozturk’s sister, who has not been named, allegedly received a text message from him shortly thereafter saying: “Bury me and Defne at my mother’s feet. Give me your blessings.”
He allegedly slit his daughter’s throat with a utility knife before attempting to take his own life with the same blade.
After allegedly murdering his daughter and trying to take his own life, the father was taken to hospital in a serious condition and was operated on. He survived. His daughter was found dead in his home.
During the trial, the defendant claimed that two people wearing ski masks had entered the house, one of them armed with a gun. He claimed that one of them had put the gun to his head and made him write out the note before taking him to his daughter’s room. He said he then saw her lying on the floor with her throat cut.
The court concluded that the statement from the defendant was geared towards covering up his crime and could not be relied upon.
He faces life in jail if he is convicted of aggravated murder. The trial is ongoing.
A life sentence in Turkey is 24 years in prison, whereas an aggravated life sentence is what was introduced to replace the death penalty. Prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment can only be paroled after serving at least 30 years, or 36 years if given more than one sentence.
